Is uba tuba granite old fashioned for kitchen counters ?

5 years ago

Hi, we are building a house and I’m in a dilemma.
I have two options for my kitchen counters.

uba tuba ( free , provided by the builder )
white ice ( which I sorta liked out of all the other granites available , 4000$)

Although I liked white ice granite, 4000 is big bucks and I was wondering if I could go with uba tuba and save 4000$ to use in other areas of our house . But at the same time I’m worried Uba tuba is too old fashioned and I’m afraid i won’t be able to glam up the kitchen well enough. I’m planning to paint the cabinets white ( Alabaster ).

Also is it possible /easy to change countertops in future ? or is it hard so better to choose the right one while building the house itself ?

Any advice is greatly appreciated . Thanks in advance

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PRO

Beth H. :

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

It all depends on what else is going on in the kitchen.

Personally I think uba tuba has had it's day . there are too many other better looking stones out there. There's a reason your builder isn't charging you for this granite.

uba tuba (with white cabinets, it's hit or miss. I don't think this looks good:

For him to charge you 4K for the white ice is a bit much. White Ice is also a lower end granite. not as bad as uba tuba, but it's not exactly super expensive. I think you can buy a whole slab of white ice for less than 1500K. These slabs vary greatly (look at bottom pics) Some look good, other slabs are yuk looking w/yellowish areas. You must ALWAYS look at the entire slab of any granite you buy.

btw, you could always get something else down the road when you aren't pressured to choose.

Just don't have the builder install a tile backsplash.

Remember, builders make their money on upgrades. So having them do backsplash for you, or upgrading your granite, is always going to cost more.

have the free stuff put in, tell them to go easy on the adhesive when they install the granite and no backsplash.

it's simple to switch out the granite. if they don't use the adhesive, you can just lift it off. if they do use adhesive, you get a hammer and break it. (you would cover all your cabs in heavy canvas drop cloths.) I took out my own granite countertops when I redid my kitchen. not a big deal at all.

(oh, and if they're going to give your the 4" granite backsplash, do not let them use adhesive on the wall w/it. just have them caulk it to the countertop it will be enough

White Ice

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Comments (21)

BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
5 years ago
People change counters all the time ... "sorta liked" would not be good enough for me to spend for an upgrade. I'd use the money elsewhere for something I really wanted or save the money for a later countertop change to something I would love, not just sorta like better than other options ... there are so many more options than what builders will offer as standard upgrades.
Hannah
Original Author
5 years ago
Hi , that was my intention . To change countertop in the future to the one I liked best. But I was told by someone it’s very hard to change countertops
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Sammy
5 years ago
Uba tuba is beautiful when used in the right setting, while white ice in the wrong setting can look terrible.
PRO
Beth H. :
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Plus, the stuff they're doing w/porcelain slabs nowadays is insane! And porcelain (slabs) is not that expensive. Certainly cheaper than a slab or real marble.

Panda is a type of marble that is beautiful black and white. I just saw this slab (book matched slabs) at my tile store today. couldn't believe it was porcelain. This would look gorgeous in a kitchen

(here a pic of the real Panda White marble

or this one. Infinity Renoir.

This one is real stone. quartzite I believe. Macaubas.

So Hannah, to answer your question, take the free stuff and then take your time looking for what YOU really want.
PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago
Beth! That Macaubas is stunning!
freedomplace1
5 years ago
Uba tuba is a beautiful granite.
porkchop_z5b_MI
5 years ago
I think the above pics with Uba Tuba and white counters looks nice! I do agree with Beth -- take the free Uba Tuba and down the road get something you really want if you find you really don't care all that much for it.
herbflavor
5 years ago
you mention "other " granites were avail. What were they? I'm not certain the goal of "glam" will serve you all that well. Can you recall the "others?"
salonva
5 years ago
This was asked recently as I remember, and I am pretty sure my reply was--- (still my opinion) that uba tuba may be considered somewhat dated, but it is good looking, bullet proof, and as shown in some of the examples freedom posted above, can look great. I would go with that and maybe it will be fantastic. If not, some of those other examples Beth showed look promising too. Never heard of porcelain but that's what is so helpful about these forums.
Hannah
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all for your responses . Helps a lot . Besides uba tuba the other granites are the ones I usually see in bathrooms hehe so I most probably will go with uba tuba and pick the one I love later on.
PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago
I have had Uba Tuba and loved it. BUT, the slabs that are coming out now aren't as pretty as 10 years ago, so you have to see the slabs. I wouldn't hesitate to use it, but it is going to have a "net visual impression" of black so check out Virginia Mist or Jet Black because they are beautiful and have a bit more "presence". Uba Tuba pricing can't be beat though.
PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago
Here is Uba tuba in my previous kitchen.
PRO
Beth H. :
5 years ago
flo, that was a pretty kitchen. and Ubatuba isn't that horrible. But, you have to admit, there are better choices out there now!

I think op should take the free stuff, have them 'lightly' install it, and spend time looking for something that really speaks to her.
PRO
Flo Mangan
5 years ago
I agree. But just wanted to show how it looked. Unreal but I designed and built that house in 2004-5! Time flies.
btydrvn
5 years ago
I sort of go against the grain in this situation.. take the time to find something you love...now....in the overall scheme of things ...even $4000...is a small percentage of what you are investing.... the black counters are not “ free” they are just included in the price...there may be a white you can love that isn’t $4000 more...
Aglitter
5 years ago
White Ice granite is one of those varieties you should research for staining propensities prior to committing. Houzz has some archived posts, and you can do a general Google search.
champcamp
5 years ago
I wish I could go countertop shopping with Beth H! Those are some amazing finds!
PRO
jillybean103
5 years ago
Well, relatively, 30 years of builders’ use of UbaTuba is young if you think the stone is millions of years old. But for design, I wouldn’t put a product that’s seen it’s prime 30 years ago in a new home. See if they will give you builder credit even though they include it, and shop the Box stores for a more current granite.
nicoletouk
5 years ago
Can you get the Uba Tuba honed? The color when it is honed is very different than polished, it is less green and not fleck-ish.
Tanya Svoboda
5 years ago
I think quartz or quartz composite is a little more current than granite. We did Uba Tuba 12 years ago and it has held up well. But I hate that I can't be sure I got all the dirt w/a black countertop. Will def go with a white one next time.